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I never use my microwave, but then again I don't really drink coffee- which I think is a pretty decent reason to hang on to one. I should probably give away my microwave. If I want to pick at leftovers at night, I prefer to eat them cold. My boyfriend thinks that's gross- even if it's mashed potatoes or chicken, I prefer to eat it cold. Anyone want a microwave?

Mark Bittman wrote about this a few weeks ago on his blog for the NYTimes and many people commented on it.

In the past, I have lived without a microwave, and, while I didn't really suffer without it, it would have been nice to have one for when I wanted to reheat leftovers (of which there are MANY when you are cooking for one!) and melt things. I have one now and I am glad to have it.

Also, I have never understood the reheating of coffee because I only make one cup at a time - old coffee is nasty!

raspberry eggplant

It's an incredibly useful appliance. I'd get a smaller one, personally. 0.7 cubic feet is large enough to hold one full sized dinner plate. We use ours for steaming vegetables, reheating cooked food, reheating coffee or tea that's gone cold, defrosting all manner of things, melting things...I much prefer having one to not.

I've never had one and I don't want one. It would be a waste of space even if I had a bigger kitchen.

Without a microwave, leftover night at my house would resemble that of my youth when my mother would wrap up all of the leftovers in individual packets of foil and heat them all up together in the oven. Nobody wanted mystery leftovers, so Mom would have to peek inside each foil pack before serving.

Aside from heating leftovers and melting butter and chocolate, I use our microwave for cooking rice. It works great! I have a plastic tub-type microwave rice cooker. Fast and easy, it even cooks brown rice.

a) re-heat left overs - which I have a lot of (a microwave makes this a trivial experience - an oven takes way to long not to mention requires more energy to achieve the same objective)
b) it allows me to quickly take care of something when my oven is doing something else
c) frozen foods - yes I eat them - my partner doesn't cook so when I'm working late - the last thing I want to do is to spend 20 minutes making a mess throwing something together when I can just throw something in the microwave and then crash in front of the tv for a bit

I'm almost 40 and I've never owned a microwave, but I have an electric tea kettle if that soothes your soul.

Sure, there's life without a microwave. Have lived with and without. Prefer with.

Late night snack last night: crackers with cheese melted on them in the micro for 10 seconds. Yum.

Also useful for leftovers and thawing out frozen spinach.

I usually do reheating in a toaster oven, which is rather quick as well. I feel like oven-reheating keeps my food hotter longer and keeps the integrity of the food better than the microwave. It's just an opinion and a preference. I rarely turn on my gas oven just to reheat food.

Perhaps because I am in my mid-twenties and grew-up with a microwave in the house -- I simply cannot live without one! I must use it at least five times a day, whether from reheating foods, to defrosting meats, and if I am really lazy - cooking entire meals in there! I think it's part of my mentality that I simply do not have the time to wait for something to cook when I know that it can be done in the microwave for a quarter of the time.

I moved my seldom used microwave up to the top of my fridge to save counter space. I do use it rarely, but now that it doesn't occupy valuable counter real estate, it no longer feels like a waste. (and yes, I can reach the buttons, etc).

It is convenient for very specific things, though I could absolutely live without.

We don't really use our microwave oven. In the past, I have happily lived ~5-7 years without one. I still heat my food on the stovetop.

The only time I really use my microwave oven is when I want hot water for a cup of tea, which is rare, since we make batches of iced tea (green tea or mugicha) with room temperature water and throw it in the fridge.

It's okay to not have one. You'll just get weird looks, like I got when I didnt' have one, and like I continue to get when I tell people I don't have cable. (No time to watch tv at all)

It's funny. We were renting an apartment years ago that had the microwave over the stove. When it died we just did without it, never requesting a replacement from the landlord and I don't recall it being a hardship. When we later bought a place the kitchen of course had a brand spanking new stainless steel microwave over the stove.

We use that baby multiple times a day from breakfast to dinner and I honestly don't know how I was without one for those years way back when. I know I did it and it wasn't a big deal, but I use mine constantly nowadays. We still cook our hot cereal on the stovetop everyday out of habit from those years, but while the cereal is cooking, we make eggs and reheat coffee (do folks actually "make" coffee?) in the microwave. I often defrost something for dinner and I can't imagine roasting spaghetti squash in the oven when cooking a half squash only takes 6 or 7 minutes in the microwave. I keep frozen cubes of homemade stock in a freezer bag and usually melt these in a coffee mug with some water so that I don't have to add "ice" to something cooking on the stove. Tonight I'm planning to grill sweet potato slices, but I will surely start them in the microwave before putting them on the grill. And all these celebrity chefs who eschew the microwave for melting chocolate in a double boiler seems crazy to me! I guess I don't cook many things in the microwave from start to finish, but if the stove is crowded, I certainly don't mind making fresh broccoli or asparagus in the microwave. Plus there is less cleanup as you can usually serve right from the cooking dish. I know that I could do without one, but I just find it too helpful and convenient.

I've been a good 15 years with no microwave - and never miss it. I imagine it is all what you are accustomed to. I thaw frozen spinach in warm water in the sink. I warm milk on the stove and use a tea kettle. I reheat things with butter in my cast iron skillets. I never liked the uneven heating and unpredictable outcomes I got when I used a microwave. If you get rid of it - I doubt you will miss it much - but you will love the counter space.

Yup. I use it to heat up water for tea. That's it.

And only cause my roommate "needs" one. If it were my choice I'd just have a kettle.

never had one, never will.

I freeze a lot of leftovers and things that sometimes have to be reheated on the quick. My Kenmore Microwave also has a great timer.
It melts sticks of butter and softens. I use it to melt chocolate and cheese.
My husband likes to reheat whatever he is eating when he wants to. This is the bargain you go through. If you chose not to have a microwave you have to use pots to reheat things or your oven. Pots have to be washed, most of mine by hand. I am very particular about my pots and pans.
Microwave means a paper plate for something heated on the quick. I do not want dish pan hands. We do not do microwave popcorn since I read the article about lung disease and the butter aroma 8 years ago.

Relevant to your topic In the NYTimes today... this.

I talked about this topic last night with my partner over dinner (the grilled sweet potatoes with chili powder started in the microwave were delicious, thank you!). He recalled not really missing the nuker those years that we didn't have one. And certainly anything done in a microwave can be cooked or reheated in the oven or on the stovetop, but we both agree that it's just a helpful tool, like the food processor or my stand mixer (neither of which he ever uses). I use these tools to make pie crust, pasta dough, biscuits, coleslaw, etc., all of which could easily be made by hand, but I guess because I've invested in these tools, I'd just as soon use them. Plus there are so many other things that such kitchen tools can be used for, like sanitizing a sponge in the microwave or making mashed taters in the stand mixer. It's all good!

I'm with EtherMaiden. I don't currently have a microwave and rarely think about it. When I had one I certainly found ways to use it, but I find that not having one keeps my food purchases on track, when I might occasionally otherwise be tempted by cheap frozen Trader Joe meals.

Mine caught on fire; the internal electrical failed and burst into flames while my daughter was using it and I'm just glad I was there as she had no clue what to do other than scream for me (I always unplug the toaster too because one day in my mom's kitchen I noticed the cozy on hers was smoking... and if I hadn't been there her house wouldn't be now).

Well, that was months ago and except for a few fleeting things and a minor adjustment time of a few days (while I was trying to figure out which one to buy as a replacement), I really haven't missed it and I love the extra space. It's amazing to me how much better food is when we don't have the option of the microwave. In fact, 5-7 minutes for pizza slices in the oven gives them a lovely browning but I actually like most roasted veggies cold the next day (they seem to have more and richer flavor).

It was perfect timing as I'd been hearing/reading a lot about how the waves change up the food and the plastics (and other chems used in micro-friendly foods) just aren't good for us.

I'd much rather have really good pots and pans (and I do) that are easy and fun to use and clean up pretty easy (and they aren't non-stick just worth every penny) than a microwave. Though we did invest in a few inexpensive aluminum pie pans to put something quickly in the oven. They clean as easy as a plate.

Speaking of easy cleaning, no more contortions scrubbing out the inside of the box after splatters and explosions because truthfully, only one person ever bothers so none of the rest worry about the mess they're making.

As a college student, I can vouch that there certainly is life without a microwave!

I could probably live without it at home. I use it in the mornings for my oatmeal, but I could always use the stove. I will use it to soften butter for a baking recipe or reheat food on occasion. But I frequently use the microwave at my office for heating up leftovers - otherwise I'd spend a lot more money on lunch!